


Mistle-Roni

by retrinazambrano



Series: The Bartender and the Thief [4]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Evil Queen | Regina Mills as Roni, F/M, Roni's Bar (Once Upon a Time)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2020-04-06 15:16:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19065247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/retrinazambrano/pseuds/retrinazambrano
Summary: A Christmas interlude at Roni's bar.





	Mistle-Roni

**Author's Note:**

> A Christmas fic inspired by the photobooth pictures from the OUAT cast Xmas party 2017.

Roni's has never actually thrown a Christmas bash before. Sure, she's decked the halls with boughs of holly (and Christmas lights and tinsel…) but she's never actually hosted a Christmas event. She doesn't see the point - she doesn't enjoy the holiday season.

Until Joe plants a seed in her head.

"Oh go on, Ron," he pleads. "You could make a ton of money."

Roni shakes her head, her curls bouncing around her face. "You're well aware money isn't the point," she says, rubbing at the bar with a damp dishcloth. "You're gonna have to try harder than that, dear."

He's quiet whilst he works out the best way to convince her to say yes. "How about the fact you'll be able to get all your favourite people in one place during the Christmas season?"

That appeals, of course, but she shrugs. "People are going to have other plans. Better plans, I'm sure."

"Try." Roni looks up at him, into those blue eyes she consistently gets just a little hung up about (not that she'll ever admit it) and sighs. It may not be the worst idea in the world. "Alright," she sighs. "Alright. December 24th. One night only."

\------

Joe is more than eager to help Roni decorate the bar, provide the Christmas tunes, cook the festive treats… anything and everything Christmas He's there to help, alongside his totally adorable son, who follows him about with tinsel and baubles like his little shadow. Theo is more than happy to taste test all the nibbles, telling both Roni and his father that the pigs in blankets are just right but the confetti brownies need some more time in the oven. He speaks and acts like such a grown-up that Roni can't help but chuckle at the serious look on his face.

"He does this all the time," Joe explains, "gives me his expert opinion on my cooking."

"I do," Theo nods, "Papa makes good mac and cheese." Roni can't argue with that one, pleased to see his specialty is amongst the sea of food sitting along the right side of the room.

"He does indeed," she says, grinning. "I hope our customers leave some for me."

\------

Unsurprisingly, the event is a success. Joe had got the word out amongst his friends, the merry men too, Henry with his cab customers and, with the promise of one free drink and food, the bar is comfortably heaving. With Jacinda and Sabine helping out behind the bar, Roni takes a moment to get some quiet in her office, telling Joe she wants to get a head start on her finances for the month when actually, she just wants a breather.

Roni's not a fan of Christmas, not really, so she had never felt the need to host any events or do anything more than decorate a little and serve eggnog and mulled wine. She does try to start on the books, calculating this, that and the other, but her mind wanders, wanders far into the past and it has her shaking her head, taking deep breaths and glancing at the feather sitting on her wrist. She runs her fingertips across the deep ink and is only interrupted when she hears the clearing of a throat at the door.

"Hey, Joe, did you need me?" She says, forcing a smile but he shakes his head, closing the door behind him and sitting opposite her.

"I do have a question." Roni nods; they seem to ask each other a lot of questions, especially when they're alone. "Why do you dislike Christmas?"

She's taken aback by his candidness but nevertheless, she feels comfortable enough to answer him. "You guessed, huh?" He hums at that. "It's just not a happy time for me." He nods and waits for her to continue if she wants, but he won't push and normally Roni really would leave it at that, but she feels compelled to spill her guts to her friend.

"My father died around Christmas when I was a teenager," she explains and Joe offers his sympathies, but she shakes them off. "It was a long time ago now, but I just try to forget by working." Joe guesses this was the day the previous week where Roni's was open for near on 24 hours, but he looks up at her again when she continues to talk.

"Did I ever tell you that I tried to adopt a baby boy once?" That's something unexpected. "Yeah, a beautiful little boy from Boston. I was all ready to fly out and meet him, the son I wanted to give a good life, but as I was on my way to the airport, social services called me and told me I was no longer a good fit for him and the adoption was off." She goes quiet for a beat. "How did they, in a matter of days, go from you're the perfect candidate to sorry, but no? I asked and asked but they would never give me an answer. So I tried to move on, but the lack of closure just really… bothered me. I got my heart broken again and again by people who just weren't good enough for me, but this place," she indicates up, "it's been my lifeline. I took the plunge just after they rejected me and used all the savings I'd kept for the child to put a downpayment on this place. Not done too bad for myself, huh?"

Joe agrees, but he knows the pain behind those coffee eyes. Her maternal instinct is unmistakable and, if he didn't know any better, he'd have said she was a mother. Maybe she was one in another life. Or perhaps she's just acted as a mom to so many in this town. He really does admire how she's taken the negative energy from the failed adoption and channeled it into something positive where most, he included, would have caved into the misery. "You're amazing, you know that?"

Roni raises a brow before giving him a close-lipped smile. "I'm just a regular queen," she playfully shrugs. Joe smirks and stands at that, holding out his hand to her and, for a change, she takes it, standing, and he pulls her into a tight hug, one that she greatly appreciates. Roni turns her head in towards his chest, resting against him, her eyes closing as his hands make gentle passes along her back.

"I know Christmas isn't a fun time for you, and I understand, but will you let Theo and I at least try and lift your spirits?"

Roni looks up at him and their eyes meet. There's even more sparks between them since their not-date (dates, plural) and she knows that if she does not step away, they are going to kiss and she'll be the one responsible for breaking their self-set rules. So she steps away and nods. "I would like nothing more than to have a merry Christmas."

"It wouldn't be a very merry Christmas without gifts, would it?" Joe says, and Roni sighs.

"Joe, you really didn't have to…"

"Wait here," he says, squeezing her arm. He's out and back in the room in moments, carrying a large wrapped box. "Merry Christmas, Roni."

It's not Christmas Day, but she opens it anyway, tearing at the red and green packaging to find a plastic Tupperware box, full to the brim of Joe's specialty mac and cheese. "I know that pasta's a hit, so I didn't want you to miss out."

Roni's touched. No, she's beyond touched by such a gesture. She gets greeting cards, but rarely gifts and she can't help the smile that spreads across her face, both because of the gift and because she gets to have her own portion of Joe's pasta extraordinaire.

"It's called macaroni, remember? Maybe we should put it on the menu as Mac-at-Roni's," he grins, as does she.

"I remember and I'll keep that in mind." She looks up at him, her face falling. "But I haven't got you anything."

"Don't worry," he replies, accentuating the words with a shake of his head. "Your smile is a gift enough for me."

Roni ignores the knowing look she gets from both Henry and Lucy as the two of them emerge from her office. With her pasta special packed safely in her office fridge, Roni rounds the bar, whilst Joe picks up a few empty glasses and jokes with the customers. They're a good team, the two of them, a pairing that's often commented on and they breeze through the evening together.

"Hey, what's that?" Roni asks, pointing to a section of the room sectioned off by curtains.

"That, milady, is our makeshift photobooth." She looks puzzled and Joe, egged on by Henry's nudges, places his hand on Roni's elbow. "Come with me." She lets him lead her, Henry calling back that he'll man the bar, and they go behind the curtain to find Theo there, posing with the many props in the box on the floor, flashes going off every thirty seconds.

"Papa! This is fun!" He says as another snap goes and Roni grins at his excitement, going willingly when Theo tugs on her hand. They take a few snaps - Theo in Roni's arms, as he's putting a Santa hat on her, little pouty faces, before Joe joins in, putting Theo between them, kissing his cheeks, tickling him, giving Joe a Santa beard and Roni reindeer ears, Theo with a Rudolph red nose. It's when Joe attempts to wrestle Theo into a hug that he giggles and shrieks to let him go, running off with an I'm hungry!, leaving the duo together.

"How's that for fun?" Joe comments as Roni picks up another prop, a snowball headband which she affixes over her curls.

"I'm not finished," she grins, passing her friend the elf hat in her hand. "Smile!" She sets the camera, gets into place and click!, the photo's taken, and another, and another, before Joe's picking up the final prop in the box.

"Mistletoe," he states and Roni playfully rolls her eyes.

"I'll humour you this once," she says as he holds the flower over the two of them and, as the picture is taken, she presses a gentle kiss to his cheek. As she pulls back, he turns and once again, their eyes meet and lock. This time though, she can't pull away and she doesn't know whether it's the quart of whisky she just consumed, the rowdy festivities just beyond the curtain or the magic of the mistletoe suspended above them, but she leans in. He meets her halfway and their lips meet for the second time, just as soft, just as gentle as the first time but, unlike then, almost as soon as they've broken for a breath, they're moving back in, a little harder, a little more desperately.

It's not until Roni lets out a little hum that they part, mainly for breath, but also to gather their ever so lust-addled thoughts. Joe simply licks his lips, for he has no regrets but Roni has indeed broken her own rules and Joe can read that thought all over her face. He breathes in to say he'd do it all again when Roni's mouth widens into a slow smile.

"To hell with my rules." And their lips meet again, Roni grasping the hand holding the mistletoe and chucking it aside, allowing them both to embrace properly, paying no mind to the constant camera flashes. They're both silently thanking the sweet baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, God, and goodness knows how many donkeys for the privacy the curtain allows.

They don't need mistletoe anymore.


End file.
